Chapter 328: The Zhang Family's Guards
Chapter 328: The Zhang Family's Guards
September 25, 2017
Zhang Yang had initially planned to mobilize Zhang He to join forces with him, but Zhang He outright refused, leaving the tavern under Li Ke's escort. Zhang Yang had no choice but to take action himself.
Despite acting alone, Zhang Yang made thorough preparations during the time Lu HaiKong spent in the tavern.
At this moment, there were at least several thousand soldiers surrounding Lu HaiKong, most of whom were Dingxiang County troops. Although these county soldiers were well-equipped, they were not the force that Zhang Yang truly relied upon.
Zhang Yang's true strength lay in the private army he had brought with him from the Zhang Family.
Additionally, on the city walls, hundreds of archers were in position, bows drawn, arrows aimed directly at Lu HaiKong and his group. This was the most comprehensive preparation Zhang Yang could make at the moment.
Faced with this situation, Lu HaiKong showed no fear. He looked up at Zhang Yang on the wall and asked, "Do you know what you're doing?")
"What am I doing? As the Governor of Dingxiang County, I must capture you, a notorious bandit, and eliminate this menace for the people," Zhang Yang replied sternly.
"Eliminate the menace?" Lu HaiKong burst into laughter, unable to control the urge to laugh.
After a while, he managed to stifle his laughter and didn't respond to the absurd claim of eliminating the menace. Instead, he scanned the county troops surrounding him and a cold smile appeared on his face.
Having conducted business with Dingxiang County for several months, Lu HaiKong had not yet fully gathered intelligence, but he was aware of some of the local dynamics. He knew that the county troops were a complex mix of various influential families, indicating the intricate relationships within.
Lu HaiKong didn't believe that Zhang Yang, a newly appointed governor, could control such a diverse force.
"All the influential families of Dingxiang, listen up! This is a personal matter between me and this man. I hope you'll give me, Lu HaiKong, some face and immediately withdraw your people," he declared.
Hearing Lu HaiKong's words, Zhang Yang's face twisted into a mocking expression, "Has this guy gone mad? Why would the prestigious families sell their faces to a bandit leader?"
As soon as Zhang Yang finished speaking, the Dingxiang County troops surrounding Lu HaiKong stirred, and several groups broke away from the encirclement, retreating to the side.
However, not all the families were so cooperative. At least three-quarters of the troops remained, still surrounding Lu HaiKong, but they had put down their weapons.
It was evident that only a handful of families in Dingxiang County were willing to give Lu HaiKong face, while the rest were opportunists, hoping to gain some advantage from the situation without taking the lead.
Neither Lu HaiKong nor Zhang Yang was satisfied with this state of affairs.
However, there was a piece of good news for Lu HaiKong: Zhang Yang's side could only rely on the few hundred soldiers he had brought with him.
Witnessing this, Zhang Yang's face turned ashen, "A bunch of scoundrels colluding with bandits!"
Although he was angry, Zhang Yang dared not voice his anger, as it wouldn't serve any purpose. All he could do now was capture Lu HaiKong.
At this point, Zhang Yang had almost no room for compromise, as his situation and goals left him no choice.
However, if he could capture Lu HaiKong, he would be able to turn the tide and open up new possibilities. Therefore, he must capture Lu HaiKong at all costs.
Lu HaiKong had understood Zhang Yang's intentions from the very start of their negotiations, even allowing Zhang Yang time to prepare for this ambush.
Lu HaiKong had his reasons for this approach. With his collaboration with Zhang He, Lu HaiKong's business had expanded, and his profits had grown so significantly that even the Zhang Family, a prominent Dingxiang aristocratic clan, was tempted. The gains were substantial enough to make Zhang He's position as the county's leader unstable.
With such enticing benefits at stake, how could Lu HaiKong trust that no one would have designs on the bandit camp? Or perhaps, this greed had already arisen among many aristocratic clans in Dingxiang, as evidenced by their alignment with Lu HaiKong. This was a situation Lu HaiKong was determined to avoid.
What was a bandit camp? It was a gray area, a force shunned by mainstream society.
In an ancient society where even the legal rights of commoners were not guaranteed, how could the rights of bandits be protected? Through the law? That was a joke. Lu HaiKong knew that the only way to protect himself was through strength, a force so formidable that it would deter anyone from daring to lay a hand on the bandit camp.
Without such overwhelming might to deter others, the enticing benefits of the bandit camp would only invite covetousness.)
Unfortunately, when Zhang Yang first reached for the bandit camp's interests, he was destined to become Lu HaiKong's stepping stone.
Just as Zhang Yang had to take down Lu HaiKong, Lu HaiKong also had to defeat Zhang Yang, or at the very least, crush the ambitions that Zhang Yang had openly displayed, along with the restlessness of the aristocratic clans.
Just as the previous negotiations between them had to take place but would never bear fruit, the battle between Zhang Yang and Lu HaiKong was also inevitable. Lu HaiKong would not allow it to be avoided, even if the aristocratic clans fully retreated; he would still fight this battle, and the outcome was already predetermined.
In the 1619 book, the truth is revealed!
On one side was a newly appointed governor who had not yet fully consolidated his power, and on the other was Lu HaiKong, who had already enjoyed a period of advantage and was naturally cautious by nature.
The Dingxiang army launched a large-scale encirclement and suppression campaign, with thousands against dozens, and the curtain of a battle with an overwhelmingly lopsided numerical advantage was raised at Zhang Yang's command.
Despite the apparent disparity in numbers, the Dingxiang County troops who were truly committed and effective were only those led by Zhang Yang himself. The county troops, after Lu HaiKong's initial statement, were essentially in a state of non-compliance.
Many aristocratic clans were not unwilling to take action; they simply didn't want to do so rashly or be the first to make a move. They preferred to watch Zhang Yang's performance first.
In this situation, Lu HaiKong's Savage Wolf Guardians only had to face a few hundred people, but these opponents were highly elite.
Zhang Family Guard
Strength: 35
Equipment: Elite Light Steel Armor, Elite Light Steel Helmet, Elite Light Steel Spear, Elite Light Steel Boots
Unit Trait: Defensive Barricade
Defensive Barricade: A passive trait that increases the unit's defensive capabilities by thirty percent during combat.
This medium-level unit, equipped with a full set of elite-level gear and possessing a defensive unit trait, formed a formidable force.
(End of Chapter)
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